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Nova Scotia's Win-the-War Newspaper
THE HALIFAX HERALD
Nova Scotia's Win-the-War Newspaper
ALL THE NEWS. HONEST VIEWS. HONEST ADVERTISING.
[illegible] FEBRUARY 14, 1875. HALIFAX, CANADA, MONDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1917 VOLUME XLIII., NO. 293

STRICKEN IN A MOMENT
SCENE OF HORROR THAT PASSES DESCRIPTION IN DEVASTED HALIFAX.
The Hard Shelled Towers of Flanders and France Some Walls Stand Intensest,
BUT NORTH END OF HALIFAX IN THE TWINKLING OF AN EYE THE BREATH OF A LIFE WAS CRUSHED OUT OF 2,000 PEOPLE AND 20,000 MADE HOMELESS.
HALIFAX, Dec. 10---The catastrophe is almost too dreadful to admit of description in coherent, matter of fact English, and yet too complete for adequate portrayal by means of the undiscriminating camera. To properly appreciate it one must be able to conjure up a picture of what once was, in no contrast with what no longer is. I have visited Halifax on many occasions, have seen the North street station area. Richmond and Willow Park in normal times and when swollen with the abnormal flux of war. I have seen the panoramic beauty of the Dartmouth shore at all seasons, and always in restful contrast to the somewhat somber, decidedly crowded, and, for the most part, frame constructed district that sloped back from the tracks up the hill on which this historic old city stands. It was the home district of the working classes, with here and there an isolated through stately relic of other times. It was this hard-working, wage earning community that Thursday's morning tragedy wiped out.
Wiped out is exactly the proper phrase. In the hard shelled towns of Flanders some walls do stand after the intensest bombardment. Here a single devastating blast passed up the hill and, in the twinkling of an eye crushed the breath of life out of two thousand people and rendered twenty thousand homeless ond destitute. This morning I walked over what had been a dwelling among the debris of which an old man worked alone.
The blizzard, which had raged for fifteen hours, had doubled the task of tired and disheartened men. Imagine, ye with intact roofs and snug double windows, the depressing influence of a terrible gale of wet, clinging snow, sweeping over a city with scarcely a pane of glass intact, and carrying its chill contact in a falling temperature over thousands of beds of pain. But towards morning the gale subsided into a steady, though bitter, northwest breeze, and now the sun lit up a melancholy scene.
On the shore, less than 200 yards away, lay the war gray prow of a steamer----all that was left of the Mont Blanc, so I was informed. to the right, over on the Dartmouth shore, hard agrouhd, but seemingly not in bad shape, lay the Imo, the Norwegian Belgian Relief ship, which collided with the French boat with its dreadful cargo. To the left a few sunken piles, and one distorted steamer, slammed bodiy against a pile of wreckage, which had once been a dock, was all that was left of Piers 6, 7, 8, and 9. To those piers had come the Fire Chief and his Deputy and men, when the alarm of fire was turned in, and men, when the alarm of fire was turned in, and to the same spot hurried poor Ronyane, of the Chronicle, who had gossiped cheerily with me at my room in the Queen when the Prime Minister opened his campaign in Halifax the other week. Sildiers also hurried to the scene----how many I do not know, but I have talked with one man who told me that he and others had found at one point at least a score of bodies of men, who, [illegible] stript of clothing and, in some instances [illegible] of flesh, were quite evidently military men because of the scrps of khaki rags in their immediate vicinity. It was indeed a rendezvous with [illegible], and death overtook even the man who [illegible] in the alarm.
But death was no [sespecter?] of persons in the [illegible] of the explosion. Yon few black [illegible] along the tracks to the left represent Richmond Station where every employee was
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To the People of Canada
An appalling disaster has visited the old and historic city of Halifax and the town of Dartmouth. Its cause and a general account of it have already appeared in the press, but its magnitude is not yet fully known even to ourselves. The damage to shipping and the port's equipment is of very serious character, windows and doors everywhere were shattered to pieces, and in many streets outside of the ruined districts, houses were partially wrecked. But in the areas which at closer range came under the full force of the explosion, every building of every class and description was completely destroyed, and fire in many cases finished the work of the explosion. It is estimated that at least fifteen hundred dwellings and their contents have thus been wiped out of existence, as many more partially destroyed, and from fifteen to twenty thousand persons rendered homeless. It is feared that as many as two thousand persons have been killed, thousands have been injured and in nearly all cases the families in the devastated areas have been left destitute and penniless. The stricken district was occupied almost exclusively by the people of the industrial and poorer classes.
For the present, and immediate future, shelter and maintenance is being found for them in public buildings and in private homes, but the season of the year renders it imperative that immediate steps shall be taken to begin the work of reconstruction. For this purpose we estimate that from twenty to twenty five million dollars will be required, and in the names of these stricken communities we send out this urgent appeal to the general public of Canada for immediate help.
We have confidence that the citizens of our own city and province, will not fail us in the hour of our distress, and we are sustained by an equally confident hope that our appeal to the other portions of the Dominion will meet with a prompt and generous response, so that it will be found that these sorely afflicted people shall be provided with dwellings, clothing and food.
The numerous dead are beyond our help.
It will be of great assistance to us if when offers of goods or buildings materials are made, that descriptions and quantities should be mentioned so that supplies of all kinds may come forward as required.
The Bank of Nova Scotia, Halifax, will act as treasurer of the Relief Fund, and the branches of that bank and of all the other banks in Canada will receive subscriptions and transmit them to Halifax without charge.
P. F. MARTIN, Mayor of Halifax.
E. F. WILLIAMS, Mayor of Dartmouth.

Private Joe Muldrie, returned from the front, is anxiously looking for tidings of his wife, who lived at 1373 Barrington street. She was found after the disaster by two returned men, one whom was looking for his own wife, but recognized Mrs. Muldrie and placed her out of harm's way. It may be possible that she is in some private home or in a hospital at Truro. Information concerning this lady can be sent to The Herald or Mail. Phone St. Paul 244.
Private Hilton is searching street, the city for his wife, who lived at 373 Barrington street. Any person having tidings of her whereabouts will please communicate with this office. Phone St. Paul 1244.
Information required regarding Mrs Thos Stockall, 8 Veith street, and her three children, Allen, 7; Doherty, 5, and Tommy, 3 years' old. Inform N. T. Lloyd, 180 Barrington street.

ONE MILLION DOLLARS FROM DOMINION GOVERNMENT
Sir Robert Borden, who was in Halifax yesterday and leaves this morning to spend Monday in Kings County, announced that, pending full consideration of the needs of those who have suffered by the appalling calamity which has befallen Halifax, and to a lesser degree, the neighboring town of Dartmouth, the Canadian Government has appropriated one million dollars for immediate relief. The amount thus provided will be immediately at the disposal of the Citizens' Finance Committee, or such other constituted authority as may be entrusted with the duty of administering the relief fund.
Sir Robert expects to arrive in Montreal on Wednesday and to be in Ottawa on Thursday.
THE MANAGING EXECUTIVE WITH FULL POWER
The citizens meeting on Sunday night appointed a permanent committee to be the cabinet and directing force. This executive consists of R. T. MacIreith, G. S. Campbell. Hon. R. G. Beazley, D. MacGillvary, A.E. Jones, H. R. Silver, Mrs Dennis, W. A. Black Hon, G. E. Faulkner. Ralph Bell is Secretary.
Besides the executive the permanent committee appointed sub-committees on food, fuel, clothing, reconstruction, emergency, shelters, transportations, registration, information bureau, medical, supply, rehabilitation, finance, mortuary.
The reconstruction committee appointed Col. R. S. Low, general manager and H. Lindsay, assistant general manager with full power to go ahead as if they were on a rush private contract.
THE MASSACHUSETTS STATE GAURD SENDS COMPLETE HOSPITAL UNIT
A. C. Ratchesky is here with the Hospital Bearing a Letter from Governor McCall giving him Carte Blanche on behalf of the Commonwealth to do everything that can be done.
The medical department of the Massachusetts State Guard, which has eleven regiments and came into being with the withdrawal for the war of the National Guard, is represented in Halifax with a base hospital. It has a base hospital with medical and surgical staff and equipment, consisting of 10 physicians, 2 quarter masters, and 10 nurses with supervisor.
With the hospital unit is A. C. Ratchesky, a prominent banker at Boston, now devoting his whole time to American war work. He comes with a letter from Governor McCall, of Massachusetts, and is representing that Commonwealth to the authorities in Halifax. The letter gives Mr. Ratchesky cater blanche to do anything required in this emergency in Halifax.
Not only is the base hospital established in Halifax by Mr. Ratchesky announces that the steamer Calvin Austin will arrive in Halifax with relief goods worth $300,000, and what is more she will have a full complement of glaziers with glass on board also are engineers who will do anything they can. Mr. Ratchesky, in speaking with The Herald, expressed his satisfaction that Massachusetts was able so promptly to send this relief.
The hospital is in charge of Major Harold Geddings, and it is under the direct supervision of Col. Wm. A. Brooks, surgeon general of the State Guard of Massachusetts. It had yesterday 60 patients and today will have 100.
Practically All the Germans in Halifax Are To Be Arrested
Sixteen of Them Were Taken Into Custody Last Night and Locked Up.
The Deash Roll Continues to Grow and Now it is Believed the Number Will Pass 2,000.
Sir Robert Borden Announces $1,000,000 From Dominion Government For Immediate Relief.
HALIFAX, December 10, Acting upon instructions of the military authorities, Chief of Police Hanrahan has commenced a wholesale arrest of Germans resident in Halifax. There have been a number of citizens of German birth who have been allowed full liberty and only required to report once a month. At least sixteen of these were placed under arrest yesterday by Detective Kennedy, and it is understood that following some investigation by the military a few of them were released. Some are being held at the county jail, and last night six of them slept at the city lock-up. No information has been given out as to the reasons for the arrest, and the authorities refuse to say if it was done thru any evidence they had secured in regard to the explosion.
Among those arrested were H. R. Bergmann, Charles Calfruckhow, William Meyer, C. G. Schultz, Jacob Rabnovitch, Joseph Hornstein, and Emma Shepherd.
The search for bodies continued all day with unabated vigor, and many more bodies are being uncovered. It is now generally [illegible] that the death toll will reach at least two thousand. Former residents the district who have [illegible] engaged in the search [illegible] the bodies and in helping locate the missing, that the total, when a [illegible] tails can be obtained reach 2,500 or 3,000.
Practically the entire [illegible] gregation of St. Jo[illegible] church was either killed or injured. The church itself a mass of ruins. Mr Le[illegible] representing Cassavant[illegible] thers, of St. Hyacinth[illegible] Q., was in the church [illegible] time of the explosion [illegible] intending the installation of a new organ. The organ [illegible] overturned with Mr. Lee[illegible] underneath. His was [illegible] the many marvelous [escapes?] that occurred, [illegible] came out with only [illegible] injuries.
The deluge of rain [illegible] started early Sunday morning and continued well [illegible] into the forenoon, product
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